Antonia Patt

Dr. Antonia Patt is a Scientist at the Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry (ITT), part of the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute in Celle, Germany, specializing in animal behavior and welfare science. Her work integrates ethology with physiological and microbial analyses to advance welfare assessment frameworks for livestock.

Her research focuses on critical challenges in farm animal welfare, particularly:

• Behavioral needs and expression in constrained environments
• Pathological behaviors like feather pecking in poultry and tail biting in pigs
• Microbiota-behavior interactions and their welfare implications
• Development of animal-based welfare indicators

Current projects reflect her applied research approach, including systematic phenotyping in laying hens, organic goat farming systems (MiZie), and EU-level initiatives defining positive welfare metrics for poultry through the Animal Health & Welfare Partnership. She contributes to the European Reference Centre for Animal Welfare - Pigs as part of her institutional role.